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Why should you go for carpet?

In the days when laminate seems to be the trendy in-thing to have in your house, there’s still a lot to be said for carpet – read on to see why YOU should go for it!

Carpets are warmer than hard flooring, which is especially lovely in the winter: no stepping out of bed at 7am on a Monday onto a freezing cold floor when all you want to do is burrow under the duvet instead of getting ready and heading to the office. The softness of carpet makes it more comfortable to walk on no matter what you’ve gone on your feet (or sit on, if you’re entertaining a large group of people and don’t have enough chairs) and it’s safer if you have kids running around. Slipping on laminate flooring can lead to fairly serious injuries, especially if there’s a radiator or table nearby.

Having carpet in the house offers extra thermal insulation, so it’s energy efficient and in the long run, you might save more than a few pennies. They also absorb sound, meaning rock music, the teenagers shouting and the dog barking won’t echo throughout the house or annoy the neighbours – not too much, anyway!

Carpet can also be used as a statement in terms of interior décor, in the same way you might have one wall with bold wallpaper – use a bright coloured or patterned carpet to really say something with a room. Carpets are also cheaper, quicker and easier to install than most hard flooring. So instead of asking why carpet, ask yourself why not?

Curtains or Blinds? The pros & cons

Deciding whether to go for curtains or blinds to cover up your windows can be a tough decision, so we’ve weighed up the pros and cons of both to help you narrow it down…

Blinds – the pros 

Blinds tend to take up a lot less space than curtains, as they’re kept within the window frame and there’s little-to-no overhang. You can control exactly how much light you let in by having them as open or as closed as you like, with some blinds offering complete blackout, and they come in hundreds of different designs that you can choose from to jazz up your windows.

Blinds – the cons

With slatted blinds especially, some light may leak through even when they appear to be fully closed – and blinds don’t retain much heat. Blinds gather a lot of dust, too, so be prepared to clean them often; individual slats can break, too, so keep hold of the spares that come with them!

Curtains – the pros

Curtains can be a huge feature of a room, especially as they come in a whole range of colours, patterns and fabrics, and they retain heat so they keep your room a bit warmer in the winter. Curtains are good at keeping out the light, and you can add a blackout backing to make them even better.

Curtains – the cons

Especially if you’ve got a small room, curtains can take up a lot of space – making a room look even smaller. Curtains can also be prone to staining and mould, particularly in the bathroom or kitchen where there’s moisture, and this can lead to smells.

So now you know the pros and cons of both curtains and blinds – decide what’s best for you, finish off your window (and room!) and take care of them.

What NOT to do with carpet stains

So you spilt red wine on the carpet on New Year’s Eve, or the kids had muddy trainers and forgot to take them off – either way, you’ve stained your carpet and need to get it sorted. Read on to find out what not to do!

Wait – the longer you wait, the worse and harder to remove the stain will get, and you’ll be left with it potentially forever.

Scrub – if you scrub at the stain, you run the risk of pushing it deeper into the fibres of your carpet. It’s best to pat the area gently, so whatever’s causing the stain can be absorbed by the cloth without messing up your carpet any further!

Over-wet – there’s a temptation to chuck a load of water and products at the stain in an attempt to get rid of it, but the truth is this won’t help and it will damage the backing of your carpet.

Forget to rinse – I know, we just told you not to use too much liquid; but make sure you rinse away any product or solution you’ve used. Over time the chemicals can wear down your carpet, and the sticky residue left behind will attract dirt.

Air dry – if you leave your carpet to air dry, you’ll quite often be left with noticeable rings. Cover the area with a white cloth or towel (so there’s no colour transfer) and place a heavy object on top. Leave to dry overnight and in the morning, vacuum over the area to ensure it’s completely clean and dry.

Don’t be afraid, also, to contact a professional if you’re worried about the stain – after all, a carpet is a big part of any room!